Rune Magic
A non-standard branch of magic. There are many types of runes, even several types of magic runes. However, there is only one runic magic system found in more than one location. This collection of runes is known among scholars as the mubar runes (because the symbol for “rune” looks like a mu with a bar above it). Rune magic differs from standard magic by the fact that all spells are invested in a physical object inscribed by a rune. This is done by prolonged (compared to standard magic) rituals and means that all rune magic in effect results in magical items, typically usable once, but sometimes permanent. To activate the magic, the rune is invoked. This makes rune magic less cost efficient than standard magic, as this corresponds to a standard mage manufacturing a potion of flying in order to fly. On the other hand, the ritual nature of rune magic allows many rune wizards to work in concert in the making of a certain rune, thus rune magic has a much greater potential for power. Thus it can be quite powerful, but it is never quick. History It is thought that the runic magic developed in the third and fourth century as an alternative to the Kartrian magic system, so that those aspiring magic-user who did not want to enroll there could go elsewhere for a more collective, peaceful use of magic. Rune mages are believed to ideally live in closed communities (conclaves), but currently no conclave is known to exist. At least two archeological sites are known to be ruins of runic magic enclaves. One near Orbal, Belandria, and one near Londirak, east of the Brossis. The one near Londirak, on the Nomad Plain, was founded deep in Iluvar territory. Its existence became widely known in the 8th century, and the conclave perished around 800. Sages disagree whether the conclave dissolved itself when the individual ambitions of the conclave wizards could not be met or whether the Kartrians destroyed them as the collective nature of rune magic represented a threat to the Kartrian doctrine of power as the responsibility of the individual. Apart from these two verified sites, a third one is thought to be located in the Thungarian Marches, west of the Ragged Mountains. The greatest expert on the mubar runes is probably Mirosdi of Erzingan, who has led the effort to catalogue the runes. Concerning the history of how the use of runes were abandoned, even by those few who gathered in enclaves to practice rune magic, Egodian of Anistar has done comprehensive work. report (Sulestae): It makes little sense that a developing society, supposedly with no stigma associated with it, would make three colonies in completely remote locations, so far apart. The [[Khalenden Philagish|Filagish] theory, that runes were known in the Second Empire, but were banned because of its association with blood magic, makes much more sense. The runic mages were ostracized even around the time of the founding of the conclaves, some 20,000 years later. It also explains why the practice of runic magic is never associated with the worship of a god.] Using Runes The writing of runes is basically a tool to put magical power into an object. A Fire rune on a wand can make it able to spew fire, and a Power rune on a weapon will make it able to do more damage. Some rune are used in combination, so Shield Fire would mean fire protection and Bane Troll would mean troll slayer. These simple runes are found on some magical items. These items are relatively rare, but those that have survived to this day are extremely durable. The runes inscribed on items are few, typically one or two per item, and they seem to come from a subset of runes associated with adventuring. The majority of runes, however, have been found on inscriptions and tablets. Here there are some controversy as to the purpose of these runes. Some obviously tells a story, but since the runes are pictograms, each with several interpretations, they are not very precise. In most cases, historians recognize a story they already know, rather than gaining new information. In short, the runes typically only makes sense when you already know the meaning. There are at least two explanations for these inscriptions. The most commonly accepted theory is that the people wanted their history recognized and remembered, "set in stone", so to speak. They knew runes held power, and so they used them much like monuments to remember collectively important historical events. A more dire interpretation is that at least some of these tablets were used in rituals involving human sacrifice in an attempt to shape the future. There are some indications of this such as short rune sentences inscribed on what must have been horizontal surfaces. The theory goes that when the blood filled the runes it empowered them, causing the events described to happen, or at least be more likely to happen. The Runes There are over 240 known runes, of which more than 20 are unidentified. Reading runes is not an exact science, nor is writing them, as different "authors" seems to have expressed the same meaning using different runes. For example, there are at least three runes meaning "protection", namely the Guardian, Shield, and Harness runes. However, the guardian is a person, whereas the shield is a countermeasure, and the harness is protection from a danger of your own making, such as a handguard on a sword or stones to contain fire. It can be quite confusing when runes are used to represent gods. Agni is God Fire, easily enough, and equally Enki is God Water. Unfortunately, for historical reasons, the use of this sign for Enki was frowned upon after the Second Empire, and instead, the "arrow of time" (an arrow crossed by two wavy lines signifying two tides, meaning a day) is mainly used around the Inner Sea. Time (no pun intended) has simplified the two waves to mere horizontal lines, and now the symbol is more or less identical to the rune of Metal, which is the mark of Hefaistos. Some runes, like God, can be used alone but rarely is. Another such rune is Color, which used alone would mean paint, but most times it is used with another rune, meaning "color of", so Color Sun would mean yellow, and Color Ice would mean white. The rune Many is yet another example, at most times the meaning is obvious, so that Many Battle means "war". Note that the specific numbers do not have runes, or rather, the runes "are" the numbers we already know. Thus you might see inscriptions such as 3 Reason Man (which probably means "three wise men"). Pseudo-Runes These are the real runes, but they are used merely as letters, a code, if you will. These runes are used typically by adventurers to either store or convey information that the uninitiated will miss. Whether this was the origin of the use or not is unclear. There is, however, one use we can place quite accurately in time. In 941, shortly after the reconquest of Kangrisorn, the Penboynian architect Jeromian was commisioned to build a grandiose entrance to Kangrisorn, the Steps of Kings. It was finished in 953, too late to ever see much traffic, as by that time most visitors went by the River Gate. The Steps is still used for purposes of state, those that do not involve public spectacle. Welcoming the new arrivals stand the Penboynian kings of old, those that somehow are associated with Kangrisorn, such Colin I, who died there fighting Reykiard. Perhaps because no Penboynian king participated in the battle of Tulada 661 or maybe Jeromian simply liked the idea, he inscribed the statues of the king with their names in pseudo-runes, using each rune as a letter or number. Known Runes Most of these have a relatively well determined meaning, but the names may vary. battle.gif|Battle fire.gif|Fire god.gif|God guardian.gif|Guardian harness.gif|Harness holy_place.gif|Holy place invisible.gif|Unseen leader.gif|Leader magic.gif|Magic metal.gif|Metal power.gif|Power protection.gif|Shield seek.gif|Seek talisman.gif|Talisman tasselind_rune.gif|Tasselind teleport.gif|Teleport union.gif|Union water.gif|Water Dragon.gif|Dragon Bane.gif|Bane Troll.gif|Troll Rune.gif|Rune Many.gif|Many Ice.gif|Ice Color.gif|Color Action.gif|Action Universe.gif|Universe Sun.gif|Sun Pain.gif|Pain Reason.gif|Reason Man.gif|Man Halfling.gif|Halfling City.gif|City House.gif|House Darkness.gif|Darkness Dawn.gif|Dawn Land.gif|Land Planes.gif|Planes Destroy.gif|Destroy Light.gif|Light Sound.gif|Sound Champion.gif|Champion Sacrifice.gif|Sacrifice Warning.gif|Warning Riddle.gif|Riddle Become.gif|Become Guile.gif|Guile Opportunity.gif|Opportunity Revenge.gif|Revenge Assasination.gif|Assasination Castle.gif|Castle Injury.gif|Injury Sword.gif|Sword Target.gif|Target Threat.gif|Threat Vanquish.gif|Vanquish Weapon.gif|Weapon Celebration.gif|Celebration Aristocrat.gif|Aristocrat King.gif|King Marriage.gif|Marriage Pledge.gif|Pledge Society.gif|Society Evilserving.gif|Evilserving Heal.gif|Heal Spider.gif|Spider Dubious.gif|Dubious Deceit.gif|Deceit Curse.gif|Curse Trap.gif|Trap Insanity.gif|Insanity Paralysis.gif|Paralysis Prisoner.gif|Prisoner Poison.gif|Poison Possession.gif|Possession Bow.gif|Bow Armor.gif|Armor Horn.gif|Horn Torch.gif|Torch Scales.gif|Scales Drink.gif|Drink Treasure.gif|Treasure Enemy.gif|Enemy Knowledge.gif|Knowledge Speech.gif|Speech Container.gif|Container Boat.gif|Boat Statue.gif|Statue Helmet.gif|Helmet Spellcaster.gif|Spellcaster Mind-eye.gif|Mind-eye Priest.gif|Priest Scry.gif|Scry Abjuration.gif|Abjuration Hand.gif|Hand Enlargement.gif|Enlarge Sense.gif|Sense Undead.gif|Undead Face.gif|Face Eye.gif|Eye Spellstore.gif|Spellstore Blood.gif|Blood Circulation.gif|Circulation Detect.gif|Detect Mouth.gif|Mouth Feeling.gif|Feeling Fear.gif|Fear Will.gif|Will Wish.gif|Wish Mind.gif|Mind Suspicion.gif|Suspicion Temptation.gif|Temptation Ape.gif|Ape Dwarf.gif|Dwarf Elf.gif|Elf Sidhe.gif|Sidhe Seaserpent.gif|Seaserpent Snake.gif|Snake Giant.gif|Giant Orc.gif|Orc Air.gif|Air Column.gif|Column Beauty.gif|Beauty Demon.gif|Demon Luck.gif|Luck Omnipotent.gif|Omnipotent Female.gif|Female Male.gif|Male Return.gif|Return Moon.gif|Moon Movement.gif|Movement Arrive.gif|Arrive Aid.gif|Aid Breakout.gif|Breakout Dance.gif|Dance Justice.gif|Justice Law.gif|Law Wait.gif|Wait Key.gif|Key Pursuit.gif|Pursuit Stop.gif|Stop Ally.gif|Ally Chaos.gif|Chaos Good.gif|Good Rage.gif|Rage Dungeon.gif|Dungeon East.gif|East North.gif|North West.gif|West South.gif|South Here.gif|Here Long.gif|Long Short.gif|Short Deadend.gif|Deadend Above.gif|Above Below.gif|Below Road.gif|Road Lock.gif|Lock Portal.gif|Portal Always.gif|Always Year.gif|Year Month.gif|Month Day.gif|Day Sleep.gif|Sleep Time.gif|Time Age.gif|Age Star.gif|Star Downpour.gif|Downpour Earth.gif|Earth Lightning.gif|Lightning Antlers.gif|Antlers Bandagora.gif|Bandagora Copper.gif|Copper Fruit.gif|Fruit Wood.gif|Wood Gem.gif|Gem Mountain.gif|Mountain Petrify.gif|Petrify Bronze.gif|Bronze Precious.gif|Precious Silver.gif|Silver Oil.gif|Oil Sulphur.gif|Sulphur Element.gif|Element Animal.gif|Animal Child.gif|Child Death.gif|Death Monster.gif|Monster Grave.gif|Grave Remedy.gif|Remedy Life.gif|Life Plant.gif|Plant Oldraces.gif|Oldraces Devil.gif|Devil Angel.gif|Angel Flying.gif|Flying Domesticanimal.gif|Domesticanimal Fish.gif|Fish Insect.gif|Insect Holyanimal.gif|Holyanimal Steed.gif|Steed Duality.gif|Duality Honor.gif|Honor Fate.gif|Fate Vast.gif|Vast Answer.gif|Answer I.gif|I Private.gif|Private Secret.gif|Secret Truth.gif|Truth Alike.gif|Alike Different.gif|Different Empty.gif|Empty Small.gif|Small Existence.gif|Existence Reverse.gif|Reverse Separate.gif|Separate Cause.gif|Cause Unknown01.gif|Unknown01 Unknown02.gif|Unknown02 Unknown03.gif|Unknown03 Unknown05.gif|Unknown05 Unknown06.gif|Unknown06 Unknown07.gif|Unknown07 Unknown08.gif|Unknown08 Unknown10.gif|Unknown10 Unknown11.gif|Unknown11 Unknown12.gif|Unknown12 Unknown15.gif|Unknown15 Unknown16.gif|Unknown16 Unknown18.gif|Unknown18 Unknown19.gif|Unknown19 Unknown21.gif|Unknown21 Unknown22.gif|Unknown22 Unknown23.gif|Unknown23 Unknown24.gif|Unknown24 Unknown27.gif|Unknown27 Unknown28.gif|Unknown28 UnknownN01.gif|UnknownN1 UnknownN02.gif|UnknownN2 Immune.gif|Immune